Power controlling means for locomotives



Sept. 2, 1941. w ELSEY 2,254,357

POWER CONTROLLING MEANS FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed June 19, 1940 INVENTOR: TVZU ren EJ 51565],

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Patented Sept. 2, 1941 POWER CONTROLLING MEANS FOR LOCOMOTIVES Warren R. Elsey, Merion, Pa., assignor to The Pennsylvania Railroad Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 19, 1940, Serial No. 341,241

1 Claim. (01. 105-48) This invention relates to power controlling means for locomotives and, more particularly, to the type employing steam as the motive medium; such type generally including forward and rear cylinder units adapted for driving groups of driving wheels, with a single reversing mechanism to operate the valve gears associated with each group of said driving wheels.

The primary aim of this invention is to provide an improved locomotive power controlling means of the above indicated species in which the respective cylinder units can be operated either simultaneously, or the forward units operated independently of the rear units.

Another aim of this invention is a power controlling means, as indicated in the preceding paragraph, characterized by a special main and auxiliary throttle valve arrangement whereby, at high speed running of the locomotive, the power produced by the rear units can be reduced with resultant release of more motive medium to the forward units, only enough medium being allowed to pass through such throttle valve arrangement to overcome mechanical friction and to lubricate the rear units, in combination with correlated adjustment of the rear reversing gear.

A further aim is to furnish a throttle valve arrangement as indicated in the immediately preceding paragraph which is capable of adjustment to furnish any desired flow of the motive medium through the auxiliary valve independently of the main throttle valve, while the rear reversing gear is adjustable to any position of travel independently of the forward reversing ear.

g The foregoing aims and ancillary advantages of this invention will appear as the nature thereof is better understood, said invention substantially consisting in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter fully disclosed, illustrated by the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein similar reference characters are applied to like parts, and thereafter more particularly defined in the concluding claim.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a mainly outline side view of a steam locomotive embodying the power controlling means of this invention; and,

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of the spec1al main and auxiliary throttle valve arrangement included therein.

In the following detailed description of the embodiment of this invention shown by the accompanying sheet of drawings, specific terms will be employed for the sake of clarity, but it is to be understood that such terms are used in a descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation. Each such term is intended to include all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish an analogous purpose.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the power controlling means of this invention, as applied 'to aconventional type steam locomotive comprehensively designated by the reference numeral I, and locomotive comprising a steam boiler 2 with a supply connection from the superheater headernot shown to the throttle valve arrangement generally distinguished by the reference 3, and hereinafter fully explained. This valve arrangement, by means of a pipe 4, supplies steam to the forward cylinders 5, one only being visible in the drawing, and by a pipe 6 to the rear cylinders 1; which in turn transmit power through link-motions 8, 9, to the frontand rear grouped driving wheels H), II, of three and two coupled wheels respectively.

Flow of steam from the boiler 2 is regulated by the throttle valve arrangement 3, while its admission to and exhaust from the cylinders 5 and l is controlled by front and back reversing gears l2, l3, respectively, in accordance with known practice.

The unique feature of this invention resides in the manner in which the front and rear power units-respectively comprising the cylinders 5 supplying power to the grouped driving wheels l0 and the cylinders l furnishing power to the grouped driving wheels ll-can be operated either simultaneously, or the front power unit operated independently of the rear unit, by means of the throttle valve arrangement 3. This valve arrangement 3, as best understood from Fig. 2, comprises a main throttle I4 conveniently with a front-end connection l5 and an elbow outlet It, with an attached T I! in flow communication with the supply pipe 4 furnishing live steam to the forward cylinders 5. The leg N3 of the T ll embodies an auxiliary throttle l9 having an outlet 20 in flow communication with the supply pipe 6 furnishing live steam to the rear cylinders l. The main throttle It includes a conventional lift-valve 2| operable from the cab 22 by a hand lever 23, rod 24 and rigging 24', while the auxiliary throttle l9 involves a similar lift valve 25 actuable from the cab 22 by a hand lever 26 and associated rod 21.

The reversing gears l2, l3 ar operable, respectively, by aid of conventional levers 28, 29 with associated rods 30, 3| from the cab 22.

From the above it will be readily understood that when the locomotive I is being operated at high speeds, the power imparted by the rear unit cylinders I can be reduced by manipulation of the auxiliary throttle l9 controlling supply of steam by way of the pipe 6 thereto, in combination with relative adjustment of the rear reversing gear I3. This reduction in the power output of the rear cylinders 1 releases more live steam to the forward cylinders 5 by way of the supply pipe 4; only enough steam beingallowed to pass through the auxiliary throttle valve 25 to overcome mechanical friction, and

to lubricate the pistons of the rear cylinders 1, On the other hand, by the means described, the auxiliary throttle valve 25 can be adjusted to furnish any desired flow of steam to the ,rear cylinders 1 independently of the main throttle valve 2|; while the reversinggearl3 can be adjusted to any position of travel, independently of ,thereversing gear i2. Furthermore, it will be clearly apparent that by'this invention there .is 'provided'for steam locomotives a novel combination of forward and rear sets of cylinders 5,

I, each independently operating a group of driv- While there has been shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is not to be considered as conclusive, while the terminology of the following claim is intended to comprehend all reasonable modifications and changes for adapting said invention to other types of locomotives including grouped driving wheels and associated power imparting units.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In steam locomotives including forward and rear pairs of right and left-hand cylinders, each pair independently operating a separate group of coupled driving wheels; and an independent reversing mechanism associated with each group of coupled driving wheels, the combination of a throttle unit embodying a main and an auxiliary flow communicating section with a left valve in each section for respectively controlling steam distribution to the forward and rear pairs of cylinders, and means whereby flow of steam through the auxiliary section is independently adjustable down to just sufficient for overcomingmechanical friction of said rear pairs of cylinders and the associated group of coupled drivne Wheels and lubricating the rear pair of cylinders, with resultant supply of proportionately increased power to the forward cylinder and associated group of driving wheels.

WARREN R. ELSEY. 

